A look at Paganism (Tuesday, October 29, 2013)

Pagans have been around a lot longer than Christians. And they’re often the derisive target of Christian sermons.

Here in the United States, Christian preachers often tie anything they don’t like to paganism. Preaching to his mega-congregation in Texas earlier this month, John Hagee proclaimed, “America is becoming a pagan society; we are in a moral free-fall.” According to Right Wing Watch, Hagee claimed that “Secular humanism is a pagan God … blaming it for everything from drugs and mental illness to rape and domestic abuse.” Concern about climate change has been demonized as “a pagan religion” obsessed with Mother Earth. And with Halloween just around the corner, we’re likely to hear more superstitious talk about paganism, even linking it to opening a door to demonic possession.

Despite the fact that it’s often demonized and misunderstood, the practice of paganism is growing in Western culture. The number of pagans in Britain has more than doubled, paralleling a trend in the United States, where the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey estimated there were nearly 700,000 Pagans and Wiccans.

Jean, a Celtic Pagan of 30 years, will share her insight and knowledge about Paganism on Tuesday’s Dimensions in Belief. Feel free to call with your questions and comments.

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